ECSO Warns Of Phone Scam
April 20, 2017
The Escambia County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents of an ongoing phone scam.
In the scam, residents receive a call from a man who claims to be Sgt. Brewer from the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office. The proceeds to tell the victim that there is a warrant for their arrest, but the problem can be resolved for cash or a Visa gift card.
But the ECSO say they never ask residents for money.
Multiple people have reported the scam to deputies. Anyone that believes that they have been of victim of the scam is asked to call the Escambia County Sheriff’s Office at (850) 436-9620.
Escambia Man Sentenced On 16 Child Porn Counts
April 20, 2017
An Escambia County man has been sentenced to prison on child pornography charges.
Daryl Emory Bruner, 37, was sentenced to 17 years and 4 months in state prison by Circuit Judge John Miller for 15 counts of possessing child pornography and one count of transmitting child pornography. After his release from prison, Bruner will be on sexual offender probation for 10 years. Bruner was also be required to register as a sexual offender and comply with all statutory requirements.
In August 2015, FDLE agents executed a search warrant on Bruner’s home on East Shore Drive after they discovered that he was using the internet to transmit child pornography. Several images of child pornography were found within Bruner’s home and on his computer.
Bruner was interviewed by FDLE agents, and he admitted that he had been downloading and viewing child pornography for two to three years.
Bruner entered a plea on April 1, 2016. While awaiting sentencing, Bruner left the state. He failed to appear on his sentencing date and was later extradited from New York.
State Puts Possible Bear Hunt On Hold
April 20, 2017
State game commissioners agreed Wednesday not to hold a bear hunt for at least two years, over the objections of hunters who decried the delay as giving in to “bleeding hearts.”
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, after more than four hours of emotional testimony from hunters and animal-rights activists, narrowly supported a staff contention that public support isn’t as high as desired for a repeat of a controversial 2015 hunt.
“A hunt is consuming, it is consuming to this agency all the way around,” Chairman Brian Yablonski said. “And the benefit that we get with this species at this moment in time, I don’t know if it’s worth the consumption that our team is going to go through and we’re all going to go through.”
The delay would allow staff members to complete an ongoing 10-year bear management plan which could be completed in two to three years.
Commissioner Liesa Priddy said she wasn’t concerned that a majority of Floridians don’t support a bear hunt.
“There’s really no scientific reason whatsoever not to have a hunt,” Priddy said. “We can’t substitute politics for science. And if we don’t approve a hunt today, we’re really just throwing the science that we’ve gathered out the window.”
Commission Executive Director Nick Wiley said the agency’s science is “rock solid” on the side of a hunt. But, he said “we need more time” to work on non-lethal bear management practices. He pointed, in part, to research that shows far less support among Floridians for bear hunting than for hunting in general.
“The thing that troubles me the most in the social dynamic and social science is the gap between a 70 percent support for hunting and 48 percent support for bear hunting,” Wiley said. “We’ve talked to people that have done this research, and they said that (gap) is troubling. Those numbers are not where you want to be.”
The numbers were amassed in a survey conducted in November that also found 43 percent of Floridians oppose a hunt.
Wiley said the state “learned a lesson” from the 2015 hunt, which was the first in more than two decades. That year, 304 bears were killed during a planned weeklong hunt that was cut short after two days when the quota was quickly reached.
The commission last year narrowly voted against a hunt, giving expanded non-lethal efforts time to take hold, after commission biologists had recommended a more restrictive hunt.
Wiley’s proposal Wednesday drew a string of hunters, many in orange shirts, to tell commissioners not to set policies based on public perception.
“What’s next, who are we going to protect from the bleeding-heart liberals, are we going not kill off the bacteria on over-ripe bananas?” said Byron Maharrey of Palm Springs. “This isn’t a popularity vote.”
Chuck Echenique, a hunter from Tampa, suggested the agency spend money on pro-hunting education instead of on getting people to use bear-proof trash containers.
“Let those communities that choose to move into those areas … pay for their own trash cans,” Echenique said.
The bear population in Florida has grown from 300 to 500 in the late 1970s to 2,700 in 2002 and 4,050 when updated last year.
Thomas Eason, director of the commission’s habitat and species conservation division, said Florida black bears are in the middle of a population expansion that is likely to continue.
“Bears are thriving in Florida, they’re doing well,” Eason said. “They’re continuing to grow in numbers.”
On Tuesday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service — pointing to the state’s conservation efforts — announced that the Florida black bear didn’t warrant being listed under the federal Endangered Species Act as requested by a number of groups and individuals, including the Center for Biological Diversity, the Sierra Club and Stop The Florida Bear Hunt.
Animal-rights proponents view the desire to hunt bears as a “trophy” thrill.
Megan Sorbo, an 11-year-old from Orlando, told state wildlife commissioners on Wednesday the bear population can be managed humanely, including the use of bear sterilization.
“You still oversee the most precious part of our state to me, our wildlife,” Sorbo said. “The wildlife belongs to all of us, yet to no one. Therefore, public opinion should be a factor in your decision and all options considered.”
The growth in the bear population comes as the number of calls and incidents involving bears has declined the past three-years.
The drop is attributed in part to the 2015 hunt and the removal of 112 bears that year for risk of public safety. Prior to that year, the agency removed an average of 36 bears a year for that purpose.
Also, the decline is attributed to an increase in natural food available to bears. The agency noted that an increase in acorns on the ground last fall could mean bears are spending more time foraging for acorns than rummaging in human trash.
The agency has also taken a more active role in counties where bear-human incidents and calls have been prevalent — Lee and Collier in the Southwest Florida; Marion, Lake, Orange, Seminole, Putnam and Volusia in Central and Northeast Florida; and Leon, Wakulla, Gulf, Franklin, Santa Rosa, Walton, Okaloosa, and Bay in Northwest Florida.
“The hunt is a relatively small part of our bear program,” Eason said.
But it has drawn the most attention.
The agency received $825,000 for the current fiscal year to help residents in 11 counties get bear-resistant trash cans. The money was raised through licenses issued for the 2015 hunt and from proceeds of the Conserve Wildlife license plate.
One Of Alabama’s Most Wanted Criminals Arrested In Escambia County
April 20, 2017
One of Alabama’s most wanted criminals was arrested and booked into the Escambia County (FL) Jail Wednesday night by the U.S. Marshal’s Fugitive Task Force.
Kevin Carnell Golden, 32, is wanted in a string of holdups, including one last week during which someone was shot. He is being held on three counts of bank robbery first degree and two counts of robbery first degree. He is jailed without bond pending extradition back to Alabama.
He was arrested in the 200 block of Broadmoor Lane at the home of a relative.
Golden is accused of the holdup of the Hilltop Food Mart in Greenville, AL, a robbery during which a clerk was shot last week in Brewton, and four Alabama bank robberies including Georgiana, Pell City and Trussville.
Pictured top: The robbery of a convenience store in Greenville, AL. Pictured below: Police believe Kevin Carnell Golden robbed a bank in Georgiana, AL, last week. Images for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Earth Day Celebration Planned In Century
April 20, 2017
The Century Health and Rehabilitation Center is planning an Earth Day Celebration for Saturday, April 22 from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Vendor applications are being accepted now. Contact Mae at (850) 256-1540 or mae.hildreth@gmail.com for information. Pictured: Earth Day 2016 at the Century Health and Rehabilitation Center. NorthEscambia.com file photo, click to enlarge.
Night Lane And Ramp Closures Planned For I-10 Near U.S. 29
April 20, 2017
Drivers will encounter traffic delays on Interstate 10 (I-10) near U.S. 29 from 8 p.m. Thursday through 6 a.m. Friday as crews perform barrier wall work and guardrail repair.
· Alternating lane closures on I-10 near U.S. 29 (Exits 10A and 10B).
· Intermittent lane closures on the I-10 westbound and I-10 eastbound to U.S. 29 north ramps (Exit 10B). Traffic will be detoured to Exit 10A for access to U.S. 29.
All activities are weather dependent and may be delayed or re-scheduled in the event of inclement weather. Drivers are reminded to use caution, especially at night, when traveling in a work zone and to watch for construction workers and equipment entering and exiting the roadway.
Wahoos Beat The Shrimp 7-5
April 20, 2017
The Pensacola Blue Wahoos won its fifth consecutive game with more drama and suspense than the movie Titanic.
Pensacola was ahead, 3-1, against Jacksonville, gave up three runs in the eighth inning to fall behind, 5-3, then scored four runs of its own in the bottom of the eighth to pull out its fifth consecutive victory with a, 7-5, win Wednesday over the Jumbo Shrimp at Blue Wahoos Stadium.
The game was an “emotional roller coaster” for Pensacola second baseman Josh VanMeter on a night that the Double-A club team celebrated the 20th anniversary of the release of the tragic love story that tied records for number of Academy Award nominations with 14 and wins with 11, including a Best Director award for James Cameron.
The three-hour movie with its ups and downs was still faster than Wednesday’s game that lasted three hours and 20 minutes.
For the second consecutive night, VanMeter came to the plate with the bases loaded. On a 3-2 count with two outs, he delivered a bases clearing single to right field to make up for two throwing errors. His overthrow in the eighth inning came on a tailor-made double play that instead allowed Jacksonville left fielder Jeremias Pineda to tie the score, 3-3.
“Up until tonight (Wednesday), my defense has been pretty darn good all year,” he said. “I have to thank my teammates for picking me up and letting me have an opportunity to redeem myself.”
Blue Wahoos manager Pat Kelly said the team is showing him a lot of grit by playing hard all nine innings.
“The eighth inning wasn’t pretty for either club,” Kelly said. “We gave up runs and fall behind. It was nice for VanMeter to get a redeemer there. He got with the bases loaded and got a clutch hit.”
Early in Wednesday’s game, Blue Wahoos starter Keury Mella returned to looking like a top pitching prospect in the Cincinnati Reds organization.
He’s ranked the organization’s 19th top prospect by both Baseball America and MLB Pipeline, but didn’t look like it entering Wednesday’s game 0-2 with a 10.80 ERA after lasting just 1.2 innings and giving up five runs in his last start against the Biloxi Shuckers.
Against Jacksonville, though, Mella allowed just one run on four hits and struck out seven in six innings of work. The 23-year-old left in the sixth inning with a 3-1 lead but his first win in Double-A was spoiled when Pensacola’s normally reliable bullpen fell apart.
“He’s young and had great stuff,” Kelly said of Mella. “Young pitchers have to handle the ups and downs and the flow of the game and not get too emotionally involved. We’ve been working with him to stay even keeled.”
Jacksonville shortstop Alex Yarbrough lined a single into center in the seventh off reliever Ariel Hernandez that scored catcher Austin Nola to pull within, 3-2.
In its next at bat in the eighth, the Jumbo Shrimp got three runs across on four singles off Pensacola relievers Brennan Bernardino and Alex Powers, who gave up four hits and a walk to the Jumbo Shrimp. They weren’t helped by VanMeter committing his second throwing error that would have ended the inning on a double play with Jacksonville scoring just one run.
Jacksonville first baseman Taylor Ard lined single to center field that scored second baseman David Vidal to put the Jumbo Shrimp up, 5-3.
Blue Wahoos shortstop Blake Trahan drove in Brian O’Grady in the third inning with a single that took a hop that the Jacksonville’s Vidal couldn’t handle cleanly to knot the game, 1-1.
In the fourth inning, Pensacola went ahead, 2-1, when first baseman Eric Jagielo smashed a liner that caromed off the pitcher and shortstop into centerfield to score right fielder Aristides Aquino.
The Blue Wahoos tacked on another run to go up, 3-1, when third baseman Alex Blandino grounded out deep in the hole to the Jacksonville shortstop’s right with the bases loaded to allow catcher Adrian Nieto to score.
Driver Escapes Serious Injury In Highway 97 Crash
April 19, 2017
A driver escaped serious injury in a single vehicle crash on Highway 97 near Walnut Hill just before midnight Tuesday.
The adult female driver was northbound on Highway 97 near Howell Road when she left the roadway, with her Chevrolet Cruze striking a concrete culvert before coming to rest in a ditch. The woman refused transport to the hospital. She reportedly told authorities that she ran off the roadway after trying to avoid a deer.
The accident remains under investigation by the Florida Highway Patrol. Atmore Ambulance and the Walnut Hill Station of Escambia Fire Rescue also responded.
NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Putting It On The Line – Lineworker Appreciation Day
April 19, 2017
Tuesday, Gulf Power and the State of Florida recognized the contributions and dedication of lineworkers during Lineworker Appreciation Day, a day set-aside by the state Legislature in 2012.
Gulf Power paid special tribute to almost 200 employees that work on the company’s 9,000 miles of transmission and distribution lines between Pensacola and Panama City, which serves more than 450,000 customers.
Over the past few years, the Pensacola area has endured an ice storm, a 500-year flood and most recently, severely damaging tornados. While most people seek shelter during these storms, Gulf Power lineworkers venture out into the dangerous elements, putting it all on the line to restore power, and hope.
Despite numerous safety precautions, these workers face dangerous conditions on a daily basis. It’s a job that, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, is one of the deadliest and most dangerous in the United States.
Yet, with all the known hazards of working with electricity, lineworkers are committed to keeping the energy flowing safely to homes and businesses no matter the conditions or weather.
Pictured: Gulf Power lineworker Demetric Washington. Photo for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
Eight Rounded Up On Narcotics Charges
April 19, 2017
The Flomaton Police Department has announced the arrest of eight people on drug charges:
- Caleb Turk-unlawful possession of controlled substance methamphetamine, chemical endangerment of child
- Michael Depew-attempt to commit controlled substance crime, unlawful possession of controlled substance (methamphetamine) (two counts) , possession of drug paraphernalia (two counts)
- Kellie Moore-unlawful possession of controlled substance (methamphetamine) , chemical endangerment of child
- Terrance Malone-unlawful possession of controlled substance (two counts) Phentermine, Oxycodone
- Miriah Turk-unlawful possession of controlled substance (two counts) Phentermine, Oxycodone
- Ame Roley-attempt to commit controlled substance crime, unlawful possession of controlled substance (methamphetamine), possession of drug paraphernalia
- Devin Ratliff- unlawful possession of controlled substance (methamphetamine)
- Justin Cornett-unlawful possession of controlled substance (Lorazepam), public intoxication, illegal possession prescription drugs
Flomaton Police Chief Bryan Davis said the arrests of Caleb Turk, Mirah Turk and Terrance Malone stemmed from a related case. The other arrests were from separate, unrelated cases.
NorthEscambia.com graphic, click to enlarge.